Hi. We are a design/style LA based company specializing in mixing eclectic styles on moderate budgets. Also we have a strange amount of fun blogging about all our design and style adventures. Right now I’m happy to say that I’m Target’s home spokesperson, bringing accessible/stylish design to the masses.

We notoriously like options, opinions and feedback, thus, it’s what I need in order to create what I think is very nuanced and detailed editorial content that often speaks to many and tells a broader story. “Decorating” is more nuanced than “designing” because it favors fashion over function (designing is more permanent). As a professional stylist, I can generally picture how a piece is going to look in a space and I’d say I’m right 75% of the time, but even “professionals” make mistakes and things can look and more often feel differently than we had predicted. This is exactly why stylists need, want and are used to having options. Not because we don’t trust our sense of scale (we don’t) or we don’t obsess about matching colors (meh, boring) but because we realize that in order to really know if something is right, you need to see it in your space. Well, that is just what Target rolled out. Their new feature (both on mobile and desktop) lets you (and us), yes, see. it. in. your. space. I gave it a whirl and BOY WAS IT FUN. Around the time that I was pitching this next post to them, my friends needed some styling/staging of their house to sell so we used their kitchen and adjoining family room to show you how the new AR (that’s “augmented reality” for those not hip to techy lingo) functionality works and IT WORKS.

Here’s how you do it:

Say you’re shopping for barstools (like we were for my friends’ kitchen…more on that in a bit). If the product you selected was from one of Target’s in-house brands (Project 62, Threshold, Opalhouse, Made By Design, Hearth & Hand With Magnolia, Pillowfort), you’ll see a “See It In Your Space” button appear under the image of the item (the program is new, so over time, more products will be added with this feature but don’t worry, there are already a ton of things to play around with). Select that and get ready to have some fun. Here’s a quick little step-by-step (but scroll down to see our screen capture video for a better idea):

Step 1: Shop “” products.

Step 2: Select “See It In Your Space” button under the product image.

Step 3: Pick a photo you’ve already taken of the space you want to see the product in or take a new one (you have both options).

Step 4: The product will appear in the room you photographed, and here’s where you get to play around. To see the item’s dimensions, spin it around to see it in 360, or make it smaller or larger, just click on the product and use your fingers by swiping and pinching. It’s pretty intuitive…you’ll likely know what to do once you see it. If you want to position the product, click it again to lock in what you did with it’s size and perspective, then move around with one or two fingers. Keep playing with the dimensions until it feels right (it’s best to measure out the space you think the product will go in so you can get a sense for how big it’ll be IRL).

We captured a screen video on our phone so you can see how it action:

So, as I mentioned earlier, we needed some items for my friend’s living room and kitchen since we were staging her home for it to go on the market, but we weren’t sure exactly what we wanted to go with (which is why See It In Your Space is so helpful…it’s like buying all the options you want, trying them out, then returning what you don’t want…except you don’t actually have to do ANY of the annoying buying/returning).

Before I walk you through all the things we tried for both spaces (armchairs, floor lamps, barstools), I have a few tips for how to make the most of the feature (because a better photo will give you a better sense for the product in your space):

First off, make sure to shoot as straight on as possible (because the furniture can spin, go left and right, and big and little but it can’t morph into weird angles) and always shoot during the day, without lamp light on because that turns everything yellow. We edited my photos to feel as bright as it is in the room and upped the contrast, so I also recommend those steps if you can manage it. Oh, and clear out any unnecessary clutter or furniture so you can get a clear path to where you’ll be putting the product.

Another good tip is to remember to get the floor and ceiling of the room you’re shooting (it’ll give you a sense of scale). Don’t be too close or too far…try to get something you think will scale well with the item you’re trying out. If it’s a sofa, get a photo that would fit the whole sofa without too much room around it. If it’s a lamp, you can go in tighter.

DON’T STOP THERE. Try tons of options and make sure to screenshot your pics so you can reference them again later if you aren’t ready to purchase right away…or to compare all your options.

Okay, so, here’s how the kitchen looked prior to staging with furniture and other decor goods:

We tried three different stools that we were debating and honestly we liked all three, but one definitely stood out as the best fit for this kitchen and for the staging purposes (and budget).

Option One: This one feels the most modern and contemporary which we liked and it works in the house, but the height of the back curve didn’t look as good in the overall kitchen. It looked like it needed to be higher or lower.

Option Two: This one is likely the most comfortable, but the scale of it is bigger and we missed how clean and modern the kitchen looked before. This is the stool that I want to sit on the most but since we were staging to sell, we wanted it to feel the coolest and show off the house more.

Option Three: The winner (well, almost). We loved how having no back really kept it feeling open and airy (always good for staging) and it echoed the window frame finish in a really modern, strong way. They had a nice curve to them that referenced the pendant shape, and felt “modern farmhouse” which the rest of the house also referenced. Plus, they were very inexpensive ($80 each).

We had a little hiccup in that when we went to order option three, they were actually out of stock temporarily. And while normally, waiting for something you really want isn’t that big of a deal, we were on a tight timeframe with the staging and shooting of the house, so we had to go with another similar option. Below, you’ll see the “after” but first, I want to say how helpful it was to see a very similarly scaled and colored item (the stools we ended up purchasing weren’t available to test out in the See It In Your Space feature just yet). Instead of freaking out and starting from scratch (or getting something that wasn’t quite right for the sake of filling the space), we already knew something backless, swivel and black would be perfect, which led us to our final FINAL pick.

We ordered them and two days later, here they are (because yes, over a certain amount—or on any order if you purchase with your REDcard—Target now offers free 2-day shipping—TAKE THAT SHMAMAZON).

WINNER, WINNER chicken on a stool dinner.

We were done picking stools, but since we liked so many of them, we decided to round up our current Target favorites (all of which you can test out in See It In Your Space, by the way).

Woodsboro Adjustable

Holmdel Mid-Century

Frey Metal

Brandford Wood

Copley Upholstered

Caracara Rounded Back

Malia Channel Back Tufted Velvet

Industrial Swivel

Geller Modern

Ceylon Woven and Wood

Salk Modern Quilted

Dakota Adjustable

1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. | 7. | 8. | 9. | 10. | 11. | 12.

Choosing an Armchair

We didn’t stop there because this was WAY TOO FUN. Next up was staging her family room. She had never really gotten around to this room and there was a futon and coffee table. So to stage it, we put the futon in the garage, rented the sofa from (such an amazing staging and design company in LA) and ordered from Dash & Albert…but we still needed chairs and a lamp (she had the coffee table already).

Clean slate, folks. Since the sofa was a dark, heavier leather, we wanted to choose something that complemented it but was simple. We went to the site on our phone and used the feature again.

Option One: This chair looks lovely in the room and absolutely works. The only reason we didn’t choose it was because chair #3 exists.

Option Two: This chair felt more accent chair than club chair so it didn’t balance out the sofa enough. We wanted a bit of color, so we tried it but it wasn’t right for this scale.

Option Three: Winner Winner chicken on a club chair dinner. This chair felt more open, but it’s wide and low which we needed because the sofa is wide and low. It’s also a ridiculously good chair that literally NOBODY can believe is from Target, not because it’s not cool because my friends know that it’s cool, but more that it looks really expensive which Target is not. If you are on the market for lounge chairs, I love this one and own two.

Want proof? We ordered them and HERE. YOU. GO.

Yes, I love that Esters armchair and highly recommend it for tons of different rooms and styles, but just in case you try it out and it doesn’t work in your space, we rounded up a bunch of our favorite club and accent chairs right now at Target. There are so many (and I just got a peek at what is coming out in fall and HOLD ON TO YOUR ACCENT CHAIRS BECAUSE IT’S SOOOOO GOOD).

Primrose Chanel Back Tufted Velvet

Rodovre

Esters Wood

Peoria Wood

Clary Curved Back

Marshad Modern

Juniper Cane and White Washed Wood

Tilton Square Tufted

Bella Rattan

Soriano Channel Tufted

Catalonia Woven

Lincoln Cane Chair With Upholstered Seat

1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. | 7. | 8. | 9. | 10. | 11. | 12.

Picking a Floor Lamp

Lastly, the all-important sculptural standing lamp. A crucial ingredient to a family room recipe. Also, there is the perfect caramel-colored dog in this shot so I apologize if the internet just broke.

We had actually styled out the room entirely already when we realized…WAIT WE NEED A LAMP. Obviously, because we were up against the clock to shoot the room, my friend Suzanne mentioned she had a great tripod lamp from Target in another room and THANK GOODNESS it was perfect. BUT, just to confirm that we didn’t need to run out to the nearest Target to pick up a new option, we ran through some other finishes and shapes (remember what I said earlier about stylists liking options?!?).

Option One: The Serge Mouille-esque lampshade is always super cool when I see it, but with the heft of the sofa, I felt like a tripod would fill out that little nook better and balance the other larger pieces in the room.

Option Two: The lamp we already had (option #3) was black and brass, but just for fun, we wanted to see what a similar wood option would look like. We liked it, but the black was just that much better and played off the sofa leather and the metal of the coffee table frame.

Option Three: Yup…right on for all the reasons I mentioned above.

Granted, who can see anything other than that perfect little dog nugget? I’m sorry, but is that not the most photogenic little guy you ever did see? Okay, back to lamps…here are 15 of our features on Target.com right now that you can play around with in your own space virtually.

Delavan Tripod

Coulee White

Crosby Schoolhouse Black

Dean Spotlight

Menlo Glass Globe

Shelf with USB Stick

Industrial Task

Shiloh

Avenal Shaded Arc with Marble Base

Globe Head LED

Oak Wood Tripod

Modern Wood Square

Ellis Tripod

Rattan Diamond Tripod

Geneva Multiple Glass Globe

It’s easy and fun and while not every single thing on Target.com is available with the feature, so many are and it helps so much. I can now order fewer options, which means less waste of time, money and stress. Being able to see it in your room or vignette takes away some of the risk, guesswork and, of course, anxiety when purchasing. Buh bye buyer’s remorse.

Try it out if you ALSO want to have more confidence when you are shopping for your home.

For those of you wanting this clean and modern yet inviting look, we pulled together a board with similar budget items from Target.

This is a great post. Thank you. In all of the pictures, I can’t help but notice that it’s the greenery that makes the space field finished. I’d love more info on how to achieve this. Are you using live or silk? Are there rules of thumb to follow? I can’t seem to get it right in my own space.

What a fun tool! Would love to see Target’s smaller decor items (vases, pillows, book-ends, art, etc) included, though I’m sure that’s less likely because the styles rotate through faster than furniture. A girl can dream! Until then I’m glad it’s so easy to try and return things I buy with my Red Card, especially as a perpetual receipt-loser. 😛

This is really good to know about! I have a TINY budget and two young kids that I homeschool so my finances and schedule mean I can’t actually go buy all the options and then return the ones I don’t want. I end up agonizing over what one thing to spend my money on, buying it, then if it doesn’t work having to make a special trip with the kids to return and start the process over again. So painful. Even with online returns where I can print the label at home and send it back, there’s still so much time wasted. I will definitely be trying this TODAY, what a great tool!

Does your friend keep all the things she bought to stage the house with or did she return them after the pics were taken? I can see if you rent all the staging stuff but to buy it outright is very expensive, then you are forced to use it in your new home, where it may or may not work? Just curious how that all works out in the end…

In real life did the armchairs look too small for the room though? A lot of the critical reviews online say that the chair is too small in person, and the couch/rug you paired it with look massive. This is a great tool but I feel like I would make everything the scale I want it to be and not the scale of the actual product, setting me up for disappointment when the real thing comes. Great home/ inspiration regardless!

No,. definitely not. I actually think its a GREAT scale. I have a massive sofa so I wish my sofa was smaller, but not that my chairs are bigger (I have the same chairs). its low, but its wide so its ‘medium’. I think its all about your house and your scale, but any bigger and these could feel clunky.

What are your thoughts on the gray Ester chairs? My sofa is close to the “husk” color one, so I don’t know if that would look too “matchy” and I should go with the gray. Thanks! Really enjoy all your posts.

I can’t WAIT to try this myself as I have a few spaces that need a piece here or there and I’m too busy/tired to keep going back and forth to Target. The chair and lamp you picked are both contenders for my spaces. Love your blog and writing style!

We got two of the Esters wood chairs about a year ago (per your recommendation!) and we love them. Everyone notices them as soon as they walk into the room, and ditto to no one believing they’re from Target! They’ve held up really well except for some staining on the seats. Any suggestions for how to clean them?

Waoo… The great and excellent information you gave us today. Most of the people want this and you helped all of us. Thanks a lot for sharing and take your valuable time to write and share your thoughts.
Thanks a lot.

Everything came out great!
Would love a post about how to style the table/kitchen counters (random open spaces) like you did with those beautiful vases!

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Hello!

Emily is a stylist, author and T.V. host with a strong commitment to vintage inspired approachable home style for every single person. Perfection is boring; Let’s get weird. learn more

Interior Design Blog by Youxi988

I started this interior design blog in 2010 as a journal of my style and home projects with the belief that design should be approachable, informational and accessible no matter what budget.

As a home style expert who has a strong commitment to peeling back the intimidating layers of the world of home decor, and showing how every person can have a beautiful home that represents their personality, no matter what the budget.

After styling for magazines and catalogues for years, I started my own interior design blog, won HGTV Design Star, and have gone on to host my own hit TV show Secrets from a Stylist, Author the book STYLED, and create the design firm Youxi988 Design.

My motto has always been to write and publish on my blog what I personally want to read about.